The Omaha Mavericks (3-3) take on the Eastern Michigan Eagles (4-2) at Baxter Arena. Action gets underway at 8:00 pm ET on Tuesday, Dec. 1.
The Mavericks lost a close one to Minnesota 93-90 on Friday. Tra-Deon Hollins had a solid performance, recording 13 points, nine assists, and seven rebounds for Omaha. The Eagles, meanwhile, are coming off a 79-63 win against Madonna on Saturday. James Thompson IV played well and claimed his second double-double of the season, accumulating 23 points and 15 rebounds.
Omaha is a small one-point favorite at home against Eastern Michigan. The teams combine to set the Over/Under (O/U) at 162 points. The Mavericks look to improve upon their records of 3-3 Straight Up (SU) and 3-1 Against The Spread (ATS). Opponents have consistently had the ball stolen by the Mavericks, who rank 12th in the country in steals per game with 10.2.
As for their opponent, it’s hard to argue with the ATS failures of Eastern Michigan. The Eagles are clearly doing something wrong with a 0-2 record ATS to go along with a 4-2 record SU so far. The Eagles are a force on the offensive glass, grabbing an average of 14.2 offensive rebounds per game. Shifting to the other side of the court, they average 11.7 steals per game, good for fourth in the nation. The Eagles are in for a physical game against Omaha. The Mavericks are not afraid to send opponents to the free throw line, averaging 23.5 fouls per game.
This game will be the first meeting for Omaha and Eastern Michigan in recent seasons.
Predictions: SU Winner – EastMi, ATS Winner – EastMi, O/U – Over
Notes
Eastern Michigan is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road.
Omaha is one of the highest-scoring teams in the nation, averaging 89.2 points per game (ranked 15th). Eastern Michigan allows 65.2 points per game (ranked 76th).
Omaha scores 86.0 points per home game (ranked 73rd). Eastern Michigan ranks a poor 335th in points allowed on the road, allowing 90.0 points.
On average, Omaha has 79.9 possessions per game and scores 1.116 points on each possession. Eastern Michigan has both fewer possessions (77.7) and scores fewer points during those possessions (1.034).
Eastern Michigan has an average effective field goal percentage of 46.9%. Omaha is an even 1-1 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
The Omaha Mavericks attempt 21.0 three pointers per game this season, while the Eastern Michigan Eagles attempt 16.0. When they register 20 or more three point attempts in a game, Omaha is an even 2-2 while Eastern Michigan is winless (0-1).
Eastern Michigan, the 21st-ranked team in rebounding, registers an average of 44.2 rebounds per game. Omaha ranks 65th with 41.2.
Omaha ranks 56th in defensive rebounding. When it comes to offensive rebounds, Eastern Michigan ranks 46th.
Eastern Michigan is one of the top teams in forced turnovers, with opponents averaging a TO% of 25.3% (ranked 14th). Omaha is winless this season (0-1 SU) when its TO% reaches 25.3% or greater.
